1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of headers, particularly draper headers for combines and harvesters.
2. Related Art
In the harvesting of commodity crops, there is a continuous need in the art for increasing speed. Accordingly, larger combines and harvesting machines having wider headers are increasingly preferred by farmers. The advantage of cutting more crop per distance traveled by a combine with a wide header, however, is often offset if the header is harvesting crop on uneven ground. The reason is that a single, wide, rigid header cannot maintain a continuous, optimal height of a cutter bar and header table that is cutting crop growing in uneven ground. It is advantageous to maintain a consistent height at which crops are cut. If a wide, rigid header harvests across a crest or trough in the ground that is less wide than the header, there will be areas in which the crop is cut at a lower and/or higher level than the crop cut elsewhere along the width of the header. Hence, there is a need in the art for wide headers that maintain a constant elevation at which the crop is cut across their entire width.
In order for a header to flex in a manner that will optimize the maintenance of a consistent crop cutting elevation across its width, a hinge, joint or curving portion in the header would ideally be placed as close to the ground as possible. There is a need in the art for a flexing header or a winged header wherein a flexing or jointed feature is as close to the bottom of the header or to the ground as possible.
Mechanically, it is advantageous if a header that will flex or float have a hinge or joint capability that is in substantial alignment through all of the relevant mechanical elements of the header. Thus, there is a need in the art for a frame hinge together with a draper hinge and a bending component in a cutter bar that are substantially in alignment.
There is a continuing need in the art for robust components that are durable enough to continue functioning through impacts and other consequences of rough usage. There is a further continuing need for economy of use and manufacture and ease of repair.
Those of skill in the art of manufacturing combine and harvester headers will recognize that headers destined for some uses do not need a hinged or floating feature and may be marketed or operated in a rigid configuration, whereas others would advantageously have a hinged wing feature. There is a continuing need in the manufacturing art for consolidating common parts fabrication and assembly steps for various optional end products. Accordingly, there is a need in the manufacture of combine and harvester headers for a header that can be optionally manufactured and sold in a rigid configuration or in a hinging configuration with a minimal amount of extra parts to manufacture and extra assembly steps to perform in order to produce the various versions of the header. Hence, there is a need in the art for a simple and rapid device for converting a hinged wing header to a rigid header and vice versa.